When
Captain America throws his mighty shield, all those who chose to oppose his shield must yield. Doc Bruce Banner, pelted by gamma rays, turns into
The Hulk; ain't he unglamorous?
Tony Stark makes you feel; he's a cool exec with a heart of steel. Cross the Rainbow Bridge of Asgard, where the booming heavens roar, you'll behold in breathless wonder the god of Thunder, mighty
Thor. Stronger than a whale,
he can swim anywhere; he can breathe underwater and go flying through the air.
[more inside]
posted by Trurl
on May 17, 2012 -
61 comments
Two and a half years ago, we explored
the early history of Cartoon Network... but it wasn't the only player in the youth television game.
As a matter of fact,
Fred Seibert -- the man responsible for the most inventive projects discussed in that post -- first stretched his creative legs at the network's
truly venerable forerunner:
Nickelodeon.
Founded as Pinwheel, a six-hour block on Warner Cable's innovative
QUBE system, this humble channel struggled for years before Seibert's innovative branding work transformed it into a national icon and capstone of a media empire.
Much has changed since then, from the mascots and game shows to
the versatile orange "splat." But starting tonight in response to popular demand, the network is
looking back with
a summer programming block dedicated to the greatest hits of the 1990s, including
Hey Arnold!, Rocko's Modern Life, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Double Dare, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Legends of the Hidden Temple, and
All That.
To celebrate, look inside for the complete story of the early days of the network that incensed the religious right, brought doo-wop to television, and slimed a million fans -- the golden age of Nickelodeon.
(warning: monster post inside) [more inside]
posted by Rhaomi
on Jul 25, 2011 -
116 comments
Actor, Playwright, Artist, Comedian, Magician, "Man of A Thousand Voices" (including Mighty Mouse,) "Beloved Herring Maven"
Mr. Ira Stadlen (Stage name: "
Captain" Allen Swift) has
passed away at the age of 87. Throughout his career, Mr. Stadler voiced characters in more than 30,000 television and radio commercials, as well as cartoons such as
Underdog,
Tom and Jerry and
Diver Dan, but some might remember him most as the man who saved
Howdy Doody. His nephew
has posted a remembrance on his blog, which includes a link to a "novelty 45" mp3 recording of Swift's
"Are You Lonesome Tonight."
[more inside]
posted by zarq
on Apr 28, 2010 -
13 comments
Saturday morning cartoons were once a staple of American television, but by the year 2000
they had all but disappeared. Of course, the Internet
never forgets. Case in point:
Cartoon Network Video -- a free, searchable, ad-supported service that provides hundreds of full-length episodes of classic shows like
Dexter's Laboratory, Cow and Chicken, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Johnny Bravo, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, and
The Powerpuff Girls, as well as current offerings and scads of shorter material. Too recent for you? Then give
Kids WB Video a whirl -- it does the same thing with the same interface, but for older programs like
Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, The Smurfs, Scooby-Doo, Thundercats, and the original
Space Ghost. If you're in the mood to learn (and don't mind some live-action),
PBS Kids Video has educational fare such as Arthur, Wishbone, and Zoom. And don't forget about
Sesame Street,
The Electric Company,
Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,
The Magic Schoolbus and
Schoolhouse Rock! Now if only we had some
Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs...
posted by Rhaomi
on Sep 22, 2009 -
160 comments
While
Adult Swim is generally regarded as the pioneer of
irreverent short-form animation -- especially for
'toons that
reimagine past
hits -- it wasn't always the king. In fact, the late-night programming block arguably found its birth in a
series of
short toons and
interstitials that ran in the heyday of its daytime alter ego, the venerable Cartoon Network. The brainchild of C.N. Creative Director Michael Ouweleen and Hanna-Barbera chief Fred Seibert, these cartoons reinterpreted the network's properties through stock footage, indie music, and original animation in a wide variety of styles, as well as introducing prototypes of characters that would become some of the most famous in the history of American animation.
(warning: monster post inside) [more inside]
posted by Rhaomi
on Dec 30, 2008 -
80 comments
If you worship
SpongeBob Squarepants as much as I do, then you know that superb
voice talent is one of the things that makes this particular cartoon so wonderfully entertaining. But what you might not realize is just how much top-drawer showbiz talent the show's executive producer, Stephen Hillenburg, has assembled to bring his cast of wacky undersea characters to life: film actors like
Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs),
Ernest Borgnine (Mermaid Man), and
John Rhys-Davies (The Evil Man Ray), along with teevee legends
Tim Conway (Barnacle Boy) and
Charles Nelson Reilly (The Dirty Bubble). Who knows, maybe they'll they cast Gary Oldman in the role of Plankton for the
upcoming film?
posted by MrBaliHai
on Feb 23, 2003 -
13 comments
In other news, the Washington Post is
reporting that
The Fairly Odd Parents on Nick is "the next SpongeBob." Film at 11 (no, I mean film at 9 pm on Fridays, 7:30 pm on Saturdays, Sat and Sun at 10 am, and Sundays at 3).
I could have told you that.
posted by Taken Outtacontext
on Feb 6, 2003 -
20 comments
The Simpsons are indubitably America's first family, and since I'm spending my unemployed Friday afternoon looking for fun instead of looking for work, I thought I'd share. Find a favorite! "See my vest...." to "Ay, Caramba!" Have they lost their zing? Is it time to end (troll)
the best TV show of all time (/troll)?
posted by BitterOldPunk
on Jun 28, 2002 -
39 comments
Save "The Tick" Petition A true travesty of justice was the cancelling of the Fox series "The Tick." In a world where naked statues are veiled at public expense, can we afford to miss out on original programming?
posted by Samizdata
on Jan 29, 2002 -
31 comments
Family Guy, the uproariously funny and at times controversial Fox cartoon, has apparently
been cancelled as of this season. A
petition is presently circulating. Many others are writing letters. For me, I'm just sobbing quietly in a dark corner.
posted by nickd
on Jan 28, 2002 -
50 comments
Batman vs. Superman. Tonight we find out who wins at the end of the seven hour marathon which started a few minutes back on Cartoon Network. All week long the fans have been voting for their favourites, and from the last two hours of this marathon will be dedicated to the winner. [It's on Cartoon Network in the US.]
posted by riffola
on Jan 26, 2002 -
21 comments
555-LIST Insane Collection of 555 phone numbers from TV-Movies-cartoons.
555-6542 Rev. Lovejoy The Simpsons
555-4044 Tanners residence ALF
posted by Niahmas
on Jan 12, 2002 -
4 comments
Radiohead to appear on South Park! Insert unfunny South Park quote here. Suggestions: "Looks like Thom Yorke got sand in his vagina." "Why hello, children. Allow me to sing you a chilling apolcalyptic ballad about the future when we'll all be robots." However, anyone who mentions "Oh my god, they killed Thom Yorke!" will be kicked in the balls. I'm serious. None of that.
posted by tweebiscuit
on Jul 5, 2001 -
69 comments
This has to be one of the coolest sites ever. Can't remember of the details of the 1973 saturday morning schedule, the one that turned you into a media junkie. It's here! And now TV Party seems to have partnered with
YesterdayLand, "a new entertainment company that produces retro-themed entertainment and merchandise based on classic television, movies, music, toys, snack food, and fashion." What's up with that?
posted by tranquileye
on Feb 9, 2001 -
7 comments